No Rest for the Weary
by Deana
Summary: Sequel to 'Deadly Retaliation'. Ardeth goes to the O'Connell home for a weeklong vacation. His stay does NOT turn out the way he hopes...
1. Safti's Scheme

No Rest for the Weary

By Deana Lisi, sequel to 'Deadly Retaliation'

Disclaimer: I don't own Ardeth Bay or the other characters from The Mummy, but I do own Safti, Rachel, and any other originals. Special thanks to Dreamscape for an awesome idea she gave me! :)

The two men faced off, swords drawn. Slowly they began to circle each other, both of them waiting for the right opportunity to strike. 

Suddenly, the larger of the two lunged forward, slicing his sword towards the left side of the other man, as if to cut him in half. The weapon never met its mark. This didn't deter the man, who attacked again from the other side, but his assault was thwarted once more. 

The other man attacked now, bringing his sword up in a high blow, which was easily deflected by the larger man. He didn't give up, however, raining more blows on his opponent, before unexpectedly losing his balance.

The other man caught him, dropping his sword. "Ardeth?" Safti looked his friend over for a wound that he didn't realize he'd inflicted.

"I am all right," Ardeth told him. He tried to straighten up, but it was difficult with the 6'5 warrior clutching him so tightly. "Safti, I merely grew dizzy."

Safti sighed. "It is hotter then usual today; you should not be practicing, you have not regained all of your strength."

As much as Ardeth hated to admit it, he had to agree. He'd had a difficult recovery after suffering malaria earlier that year.* He'd had to take Quinine for four months, and the drug was known for sometimes causing an irregular heartbeat, which plagued Ardeth the entire time he'd taken it. 

"Ardeth?" 

He suddenly realized that Safti had been talking to him. 

Safti sighed, as they walked. When Ardeth had finished his course on the Quinine and his heartbeat had returned to normal, he'd started practicing fighting techniques again. It had been surprisingly hard; Ardeth's muscles had grown unused to the activity and his strength was returning more slowly than he liked. He'd also lost some weight, some of which had been muscle. 

Safti looked at his friend as they walked on in silence. The dizzy spell obviously meant that Ardeth was pushing himself too hard. "You should rest for the afternoon."

Ardeth grew annoyed at the thought. He was the leader of this tribe, and should be able to help defend it! He opened his mouth to protest, but closed it when he realized that Safti was right. His constant overexertion would only hurt him, not help him.

Safti was surprised when he didn't answer. Was it possible that Ardeth was actually admitting that he wasn't 100%? 

"I am fine," Ardeth suddenly said.

Safti chuckled inwardly. _He is only admitting it to himself, it appears. _"Sleep will do you good. It is too hot today."

Ardeth couldn't argue with that, as he still felt a little dizzy. "Wake me for the evening meal if I have not come out yet."

Safti nodded. "Sleep well."

"Shukran."

As Ardeth entered his tent, Safti suddenly thought of an idea. Searching out a falcon, he quickly wrote a message and sent it to Cairo. 

********************

"WAHHHHHHHHH!"

"Shh!" Rick O'Connell walked around the living room, rocking two-month old Rachel in his arms. "Daddy's here, baby."

"WAHHHHHHHHH!"

Rick looked up as Evy came into the room. "Why doesn't she like me?"

Evy shook her head, giving him a sympathetic look. "It has nothing to do with you, Rick! I think she's colicky."

"Oh great," Rick said, handing the baby over.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and Rick opened it to find Ardeth and Safti on the doorstep. "Hey guys!"

"Hey," said Safti, the word sounding hysterically foreign coming from him.

Rick laughed, slapping his arm. "To what do we owe your visit? Don't tell me there's a new mummy walking the Earth…"

Ardeth shook his head, with a slight smile. "No, Safti dragged me into Cairo insisting that I needed a day away from the tribe."

Rick nodded. "Sounds good. How've you been doing?"

Ardeth sighed. "It has been…difficult."

Rick nodded, surprised that Ardeth was admitting it. "It'll get easier. Your body just needs a little more time."

Ardeth nodded, sitting on the couch. Suddenly he frowned, looking around the room. "Where did Safti go?"

Rick frowned. "Safti who?"

Ardeth gave him an incredulous look, and Rick laughed. 

"Okay, Ardeth, I need to confess something," Rick said, smiling. "Safti sent us a message telling us that you were pushing yourself too hard and needed a rest." 

Ardeth's expression was unreadable as he listened.

"So…" said Rick, sitting in an overstuffed chair. "You're stuck here."

Ardeth blinked. "I am?"

Rick nodded. "For a _whole_ week!"

Ardeth said nothing; shocked that Safti had done something like this, actually deserting him there. 

Rick made a face. "Come on, buddy, it can't be _that_ bad!"

Ardeth shook his head. "It is not that, my friend!" He smiled. "I enjoy your company, I just was not expecting this."

Rick smiled. "We enjoy yours too. Wanna go see the baby?"

Ardeth smiled when his friend's eyes lit up at mention of his new daughter. When she'd been born, everyone had been amazed that Ardeth was right about it being a girl. 

Walking through the house, they made their way to the nursery. 

As they walked in, Evy looked up from where she sat, rocking the cradle. "Ardeth!"

Ardeth smiled warmly when she stood and hugged him. 

"How've you been feeling?" she asked him.

"Better," he told her.

"Not according to Safti," Evy said, as they pulled out of the hug.

Ardeth gave her a sheepish look, saying nothing, and Evy patted his arm before looking back into the cradle.

"She looks more like the two of you as each day passes," Ardeth observed.

"Really?" said Rick, looking closer. "I hope she looks more like Evy then me…"

They all chuckled. 

"Well!" said Evy. "Now that Rachel is _finally_ napping, would you two like lunch?"

Deadly Retaliation: storyid=1285226 (for some reason Word won't show the entire link. Weird.)

Shukran: Egyptian Arabic for 'thank you'


	2. Rest and Relaxation! For a Short Time, A...

 The rest of the day passed quickly, with Evy, Rick, and Ardeth relaxing both in the house and outside. Ardeth couldn't help but smile at the sight of Evy walking through the garden telling Rachel the name of each flower and tree. 

"So how's the tribe doing?" Rick asked.

Ardeth smiled. "Very well. Everyone seems to have recovered from the malaria without trouble."

Rick nodded. "That's great."

Ardeth nodded back. 

"So," said Rick. "What exactly was Safti talking about in his message? He didn't elaborate."

Ardeth gave the Med-jai version of a shrug. "I have not made it back to my usual par in fighting."

Rick could see that it bothered Ardeth to make such a statement. "That doesn't mean that you _won't_, though. It's just taking longer then you'd like." 

Ardeth sighed.

Rick shook his head. "Come on, Ardeth, you were really sick! You can't expect everything to just go right back to normal again! Your body was inactive for months; your muscles were unused and have to work themselves back up to how they were before the malaria."

Ardeth nodded, enjoying the slight breeze that floated through the garden. "I know you are right, my friend, I am just…impatient."

Rick nodded back, understanding. "It'll happen, Ardeth, you'll see."

"WAHHHHH!"

The two of them looked up when Rachel started wailing. 

"Man," said Rick. "I hoped she'd stop crying for an _hour_."

Ardeth stood when Evy headed back towards the house.

"Oh, Ardeth, you don't have to come in!" said Evy. "Stay there and enjoy yourself!" 

"Need help, Honey?" Rick called to her.

"No."

"Good," Rick muttered. "Then _I'll_ stay here too!"

Ardeth chuckled, and then did something that Rick considered uncharacteristic; he slouched down in his seat. 

"Comfortable?" Rick asked.

Ardeth nodded, looking sleepy as he watched the sunset. 

They both watched it in silence, enjoying the deep orange and pink hues that spread across the sky. 

"Hey Ardeth—" Rick looked towards his friend, but quickly closed his mouth.

Ardeth was fast asleep in the chair. 

Chuckling inwardly, Rick quietly stood and crept towards the door, going back into the house. "Hey Honey," he whispered to his wife, who was in the living room. "Wanna see something funny?"

 Evy wondered why he was whispering. "What is it?"

"Ardeth fell asleep in the chair!"

Evy sighed. "Poor thing," she said, in a sad tone. "It's hard to see him like this."

"Yeah." Rick nodded. "He's getting better though. He'll be back to normal in no time."

Evy nodded back, bouncing the still-screaming Rachel. "I hope it's _soon_."

********************

The sound of a door closing woke Ardeth up and he opened his eyes, slightly confused as he wondered where he was. Looking to the right, he saw Evy sitting in the chair beside him that Rick had been in.

"Have a nice nap?" she asked. "Are you hungry?"

Ardeth nodded, seeing that the sunset's colors had disappeared. 

"You look so tired," Evy observed. "You can stay put and we'll eat out here if you'd like."

Ardeth shook his head and stood. "I do not wish to inconvenience you." 

Suddenly a loud wail sounded from inside, and Evy sighed. "_Alex_ didn't get this colicky!"

Ardeth followed her in, to see Rick walking around in a circle, holding Rachel. The sight would have made him laugh if the baby wasn't screaming so loudly.

"Let me have her, Rick," said Evy, walking to him.

Rick handed her over, with a sigh. "Do Med-jai babies get colic?" he asked.

Ardeth shook his head. "Hardly ever."

"No kidding?" Rick said. "I wonder why?"

Ardeth shook his head again. "I do not know."

Rick smacked him on the shoulder. "Let's go eat! I'm starved."

Ardeth smiled. "When are you not, my friend?" 

********************

"WAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Ardeth opened his eyes, blinking tiredly. He had no idea how long he'd been asleep before Rachel's cries awakened him, but he had a feeling it had not been more then two or three hours. As he lay there in a doze, he realized that Rachel's cries weren't stopping, and he wondered if no one else had awoken. 

Sitting up, he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes and stood. He was grateful that he had left robes at the O'Connell house, for he had been deserted here with only the ones he wore. He shook his head with a smile at Safti's scheme as he left his room.

The nursery wasn't far, and he entered it quietly.

"Oooh!" he heard. "I'm sorry, Ardeth!"

He saw that Evy _had_ woken, and was trying to quiet her daughter.

"I'm so sorry she woke you!" Evy said, as Ardeth came closer. 

He shook his head. "It is not your fault, nor hers."

Evy sighed. Suddenly she started looking around at the floor, as if she'd dropped something. "Where did it go…" she mumbled to herself. Turning around, she started to place Rachel back into the crib, but the baby screamed even louder.

"Do you wish me to hold her for you?" Ardeth asked. 

"If you don't mind," Evy said.

Ardeth nodded, holding out his arms and taking the baby.

"Thanks," Evy said with a smile, as she looked for whatever she'd dropped.

"Hush," Ardeth said to Rachel, not able to prevent a smile at her sweet face. "Hush, little one. Be calm."

Rachel gave a few hiccups and opened her eyes, looking at Ardeth…and falling completely silent. 

Evy looked up from peering under the changing table. "She stopped!"

Ardeth nodded, watching as Rachel closed her eyes and fell right to sleep, a tiny fist resting against her cheek. 

Evy stood and came closer; looking at her daughter nestled comfortably within the Med-jai's arms. She was sleeping peacefully, as if nothing had happened.

"Perhaps she finally wore herself out," said Ardeth.

Evy shrugged. "Perhaps." She started to take Rachel from him, but changed her mind. "Could you lie her down? I'd hate to wake her and start her up again…"

Ardeth nodded and walked closer to the crib, carefully setting her down. She made a soft noise with her lips but remained asleep.

Both of them had a feeling that as soon as they walked out the door she'd start screaming again, so they stood there for a few minutes, making sure she wouldn't awaken.

Evy eventually looked up at Ardeth with a smile, motioning with her head towards the door. 

Ardeth nodded and followed her quietly, making no sound as they left and tiptoed down the hall.

"Thank God!" said Evy. "Peace and quiet."

"Perhaps she will be fine now," said Ardeth. 

Evy nodded. "I hope so." She looked at her watch and made a sound of shock. "My goodness! You need your sleep, Ardeth! Off to bed!"

Ardeth smiled at her. "Pleasant dreams."

She returned the smile. "You too."

Ardeth chuckled inwardly at Evy's mother-henning attitude as he went back to his room. Sitting on the bed, he gave a huge yawn. Another thing he hated about his current physical situation was the lingering fatigue. As he lay down again, he hoped that Safti was right; that this weeklong vacation at the O'Connell's would do him some good. 

Okay, people, everyone who thinks Ardeth's stay will be anything BUT restful, raise your hand, LOL! ;)


	3. Unexpected Crisis

The next morning, Ardeth woke late. His internal clock knew that it was well past midmorning, as the sun's rays shone through the window. He heard his door creak and opened his eyes to see Evy peek her head in.

She saw his eyes open. "Did I wake you?"

Ardeth shook his head, forcing back a yawn.

"Do you want me to bring your breakfast up?" she asked.

Ardeth shook his head again. He knew how hectic her life was with a two-month-old baby, and he didn't want to make things more difficult for her. "I will come down."

"Okay," Evy said, and closed the door again. 

Ardeth stayed there for a couple more minutes before rising and crossing to the window. Looking out, he enjoyed the sight of Evy's huge garden. He knew that she gave him this room for that reason; for the chance to enjoy trees and flowers, a thing entirely different from his life in the barren desert. 

As he walked into the kitchen, he was happy to notice Rachel gurgling happily, rather then screaming her lungs out. "Sabah il-kheyr."

"Sabah in-noor," Evy replied. 

"Mornin', Baby Tamer," said Rick, looking up from his paper.

Evy chuckled as Ardeth sat down. "I told Rick what happened. He was as amazed as we were."

Ardeth gave the Med-jai version of a shrug. "It was nothing that I did, I am sure she either wore herself out or felt better."

"Who knows _what_ you did," said Rick. "All that matters is that it worked!"

Everyone laughed at that.

"I was telling Rick that I would like to go into Cairo today," said Evy as she set a plate before Ardeth. "I haven't been there since before Rachel's birth. Would you like to come or would you rather stay here and rest?"

Ardeth could tell that she wanted him to go with them. "I will come."

Evy smiled. "Great! Let us know when you're ready."

An hour later found them walking through the Cairo marketplaces. 

"I feel like it's been months since I was here!" said Evy, carrying the sleeping Rachel. 

"Anything in particular we're here for?" Rick asked.

Evy shook her head. "I just wanted to get out of the house."

They continued to walk around, enjoying the slightly cooler-than-usual day. Evy stopped to buy a beautiful piece of cloth that she wanted to make a dress for Rachel with.

"What lovely material!" she exclaimed, after paying for it.

Ardeth nodded. 

"Don't you think so, Rick?" asked Evy. She got no answer. "Rick?"

"He is there," said Ardeth, pointing to a merchant selling weapons. 

Evy laughed. "That's no surprise!"

As they spoke, neither of them noticed a man slinking towards them. He bumped into Ardeth, pretending it was an accident, and then snatched Rachel from Evy's arms and fled.

"RACHEL!" Evy screamed. 

Ardeth took off after the man, chasing him through the Cairo streets. He ran as swiftly as he could, growing upset to see that he wasn't as fast as he was before the malaria had struck him. He was quickly becoming breathless, and he bemoaned the fact that he might not catch the man, obviously a slave trader; kidnapping children with the intent of selling them.

Ahead of him, the kidnapper suddenly stopped, looking both ways down two streets. One of them was a dead end, but he was so panicked at being chased that he was momentarily unsure of which one it was. 

His pause helped Ardeth to catch up, and as the man finally chose a direction, Ardeth turned the corner and threw his arms around the man, making sure he held onto Rachel as he yanked the kidnapper backwards, pulling him towards the ground. 

Ardeth made sure that he took the brunt of the fall—not wanting Rachel to be jolted by the man hitting the hard ground—and knocked the breath from his own lungs in the process. Rachel started crying, but Ardeth's grip had succeeded in keeping her in the man's arms. His terrible fear, as he'd chased the man, was that she would be dropped or thrown. 

Suddenly someone was prying Rachel from their grasp and Ardeth realized with relief that it was Rick. He yanked the man's arms open and Rick was able to grab his daughter.

Ardeth tried to get out from under the slave trader, but the man viciously elbowed him in the chest, knocking from Ardeth's lungs what little breath he'd gotten back. Having the advantage, the man turned over, sticking his knee in Ardeth's stomach and wrapping his hands around his neck.

Ardeth gripped the man's wrists, trying to pry them from his throat. He'd had hardly any breath as it was and quickly became dizzy, not seeing the knife that the man suddenly pulled out of a pocket.

Suddenly Ardeth heard a gunshot, and the man slumped over, falling onto him. The weight vanished a minute later and he felt a hand on his arm. Opening his eyes, he found Rick's face above him.

"Ardeth! You all right?"

Ardeth nodded gratefully, trying to finally get his breath back. 

Rick helped him sit up, and Ardeth saw Evy on her knees next to him, hugging her baby tightly.

"Ardeth!" she exclaimed, tearfully. "You saved our daughter!"

Ardeth had no chance to say anything before she reached over and grabbed him in a hug, relieved tears slipping down her cheeks. 

Ardeth was aware that Rick took the baby from her, and he returned the embrace. "It is all right, Evy, she is safe." His voice sounded scratchy, from the crushing pressure the man had put on his throat. "I would never let harm come to her."

"I know," said Evy. "Thank you!"

Ardeth patiently held her as she cried out her relief. It only lasted a minute or two before she pulled back and took Rachel from Rick, wanting her daughter safely in her arms again. 

"Can you walk?" Rick asked Ardeth.

Ardeth nodded. His only real injuries would probably be in the form of bruises.

Rick helped him to his feet and frowned when the Med-jai blinked a few times and his breathing came faster. Rick realized that Ardeth wasn't yet fit for the sudden mad dash through Cairo. 

Placing a shoulder under Ardeth's arm, he helped him down the street, in the direction of the car.

'Sabah il-kheyr' : Egyptian Arabic for 'Good morning'

'Sabah in-noor' : the proper reply to 'sabah il-kheyr'


	4. OUCH and Awwww! LOL

Pulling up at the house, Rick looked over at his wife who was thankfully no longer crying. He'd told her during the ride that there was no sense in being upset at what _could've_ happened—especially since it _didn't_ happen. The truth was, he was just as upset as she was, but he was trying to be strong for her sake. 

Getting out of the car, Rick watched Ardeth to see if he was truly all right. He appeared to be, and for that Rick was grateful. If he hadn't seen the slave trader's knife…he shuddered at the thought of his friend losing his life to save his daughter. _What did you just tell Evy? Listen to your own advice!_

Rick opened the door and they all went inside, immediately sitting in the living room. 

Evy laid Rachel on her knees, checking her over for the tenth time. Hearing a sigh, she looked up to see Ardeth sitting beside her. "You sure you're all right?" she asked him.

Ardeth nodded, forgetting that such a motion would hurt his neck and throat...it felt like the man had crushed his windpipe.

Evy saw the wince he tried to hide and it brought tears to her eyes. He had nearly been strangled to death to save her daughter. "Oh dear…Rick, could you put on the teapot? Maybe some warm liquid would help."

Rick nodded, jumping up and going into the kitchen.

Evy sighed, reaching over and taking Ardeth's hand. "Ardeth, my good friend, I can never repay you for saving Rachel. I'm so sorry you were hurt."

Ardeth smiled at her. "Think nothing of it, Evy. I have been hurt _much_ worse before. This is nothing."

"Nothing or not, it's still something you didn't need to endure!"Evy said. 

Rachel suddenly started to cry, and Evy cooed to her, holding her against her cheek.

Rick came back from the kitchen and crossed to his wife and daughter, gently petting the baby's soft hair. 

There was an unexpected knock at the door, and Rick sighed as he went to answer it, but came back a minute later with a piece of paper. "Hey Ardeth, this message came for you."

Ardeth took it, knowing instantly who it was from. 

_As Rick would say, 'Hey, Ardeth!' Do not worry about the tribe, everything is fine. (Of course it is, I am in charge!) Enjoy your vacation; I will come to get you on the first day of next week. _

_Safti_

Ardeth couldn't help but chuckle, even if it hurt his throat. 

Rick read it over his shoulder, laughing out loud. "Looks like I'm being a bad influence on your second-in-command." 

Ardeth chuckled again, as Rick left to get the tea. 

********************

That night, Ardeth was eager to go to sleep. After excusing himself, he went to his room and immediately looked in the mirror. His neck and throat hurt worse than he let his friends know, and as he pulled down the neck of his robes, he saw why.

Purple bruises adorned his neck; from the front all the way around as far as he could see. He didn't doubt that the back of his neck would show bruises in the shape of finger marks. 

Being away from public view, he allowed himself to wince, with a sigh. He was sure that if he did a tally, he'd find out that he was injured more often in his life than he was healthy! 

Shrugging out of his outer robe, he uncharacteristically left it where it fell, and crawled into the bed. What seemed like minutes later, he heard a loud cry.

Rachel.

Ardeth turned over in bed, realizing that he'd slept for a few hours. He listened to Rachel cry, hoping that she merely needed something and Evy was taking care of it, but to his dismay she didn't stop.

Getting out of bed, he made his way towards the door. He didn't see the discarded robe in his path and tripped over it, but managed to catch himself on the wall. Muttering something in a very ancient language, he left the room, but stopped before turning right. Rachel's cries were coming from the left. 

Following the sound, he made his way downstairs, where he found Rick in the living room bouncing Rachel around. 

Rick turned at the sound of someone coming, and saw his friend descending the stairs. "Ardeth! Thank God! Come're."

Ardeth walked towards him, always ready to help a friend. He didn't expect Rick to shove Rachel into his arms. 

"Okay," said Rick. "Go ahead, do whatever you did last night."

Ardeth blinked. 

"You know," said Rick. "Whatever made her stop crying."

Ardeth looked down at Rachel, shifting her to a more comfortable position. "I did nothing," he said. "I merely held her and told her to be calm."

Rick was about to say, 'then do it again', but before he had the chance, Rachel abruptly stopped crying, and Rick's jaw dropped. "Whoa!"

Rachel made what sounded like a sigh, but then closed her eyes and made no further sound.

"How the heck?" Rick wondered.

Ardeth shook his head, having no idea.

Rick sat down in an overstuffed chair, motioning Ardeth to the couch. "How much would I have to pay you to be her nanny?" 

Ardeth couldn't stop his smile at the funny statement, and looked up when Rick abruptly stopped laughing. His friend was staring at the bruises on his neck, and with an inward sigh, Ardeth tried to pull up the neck of his robe.

"I didn't know they were that bad," Rick whispered. 

"They are _not_ bad," Ardeth denied. 

Rick snorted. "Whatever. To you, a stab wound is a paper cut!"

********************

Walking into the nursery, Evy couldn't believe that Rachel hadn't woken her up all night. _She must really be over the colic! _She thought, with a relieved sigh. Walking to the crib, she was slightly surprised to find it empty. _Rick must have her. _ Leaving the room, she headed downstairs. 

Hearing some slight snoring, Evy walked into the living room, to see a sight that left her speechless. 

Her husband—the source of the snoring—was asleep in an overstuffed chair, but the sight that really captured her attention was that of her Med-jai friend.

Ardeth was asleep on the couch, with little Rachel lying on his chest. 

Evy had to put both hands over her mouth to stifle a giggly 'aww!' Instead, she crossed over to Rick and shook him awake. 

Rick awoke to an earthquake and a hand over his mouth. Looking at Evy, he saw her with a finger pressed to her lips as if to say, 'shh!' Looking over to where she pointed, he saw what had caused her huge smile.

Getting up from the chair, he tiptoed over to them, looking closer. "The Leader of the Med-jai," he whispered. "Conquered by a baby!"

The two of them grinned when Ardeth suddenly opened his eyes, smiling at the baby motionless on his chest. "It appears that Rick was right," he said, looking at Evy. "I _do_ somehow seem to have tamed your child."

Evy laughed. "I think we've found a nanny for our daughter."

"That's what _I_ said!" Rick exclaimed, laughing. 

Ardeth chuckled, making Rachel's small form bop up and down. When he saw that, he quickly stopped. 

"Do you want me to take her?" Evy asked, still smiling at the sight. 

Ardeth shrugged. "If you wish, but she is not bothering me."

Rick nodded. "Maybe we should take advantage of this, Evy!"

Evy smiled, and ran a hand along his chest. "Maybe we should," she purred. 

Rick wrapped his arm around her, but before he could kiss her, she bolted. 

"I'll take advantage of this child-free moment to make breakfast!" she exclaimed.

Rick's jaw dropped. "Why you—!"

Evy's laugher could be heard as she ran into the kitchen.


	5. Deadly Incident Number 2 LOL

In light of Tuesday's scary event, everyone decided to have a quiet, restful couple of days at home. At least, the nights were quiet until Rachel's colic woke them all up, and the days were quiet until a certain person walked in the door. 

"I'M HOME!"

Ardeth was startled from his nap on the couch and jumped awake. Looking towards the door, he wasn't surprised at who he saw. "Hello, Jonathan."

"Ardeth, old boy! How are you—I _say_! What on _Earth_ happened?!" 

Ardeth realized that the two-day old bruises on his neck were visible to the Englishman. "A fight in a Cairo marketplace. I am fine."

Jonathan ran over for a closer look. "_Please_ tell me it had nothing to do with undead mummies! That doesn't _look_ fine, it looks rather painful, chap."

Ardeth gave him a slight grin. "I did not say they were not painful, and the man who inflicted them was quite alive." 

Jonathan noticed the 'was', but he didn't get a chance to ask for more details.

"Jonathan!"

They looked up as Evy walked in with Rachel. 

"Ah!" Jonathan exclaimed. "How's my favorite girl?" he said, walking over and taking Rachel from his sister.

"Very funny," Evy said, but without sarcasm. 

Jonathan laughed, giving her a wink. "I 'ave something for you, old mum." 

Evy watched as he dug into a pocket, and came out with a ring. "Oooh!"

Jonathan handed it to her with a smile. "Does it fit?"

"Perfectly!" Evy exclaimed, holding her hand out, wiggling her fingers as she watched the sky-blue gem sparkle. 

"Whatcha got there?" Rick asked, walking over and giving Jonathan a whack on the arm by way of a greeting. 

Jonathan winced, before realizing that the hit was light since he was holding the baby. "A ring I got for our girl."

"Nice," Rick commented. "Who'd you steal it from?"

Jonathan balked. "I did _not_ steal it! I'll have you know I won it fair and square in a card game!"

Ardeth sat up with an amused smile as he watched. 

"Fair and square?" said Rick. "I didn't know those words were in your vocabulary." 

Jonathan made a face at him and stuck his nose in the air as he turned around, walking to the chair opposite Ardeth and sitting down, laying Rachel on his lap. "I think I'll talk to someone less rude!" he joked. "So, Ardeth, how's life been treating you?" 

Ardeth nodded. "All right. Safti deserted me here for the week."

Jonathan's eyebrows shot up, and he laughed. "He decided you needed a vacation, eh?"

Ardeth nodded. 

"Jolly good idea!" said Jonathan. Suddenly Rachel squawked, and he felt a strange wetness seep into his pant leg. "EVY!" 

********************

Ardeth went to bed that night wondering if Rachel would awaken the entire house again. When he suddenly awoke a few hours later, he thought that she was the cause until he realized that there was no noise in the house. 

Sitting up in bed, Ardeth listened intently, knowing that he'd woken for a reason. His warrior instincts told him that something was wrong, so he quietly got up and left his room.

Heading towards the nursery, Ardeth crept in to see Rachel soundly asleep. Sighing inwardly, it annoyed him to see that he'd woken despite the quiet. 

Leaving the room, Ardeth quietly walked through the house, checking to be sure that nothing was amiss. When he walked into the darkened library, something hard suddenly hit him in the face. Seeing stars, he fell to the floor, accidentally knocking over a vase.

Muffled mutters suddenly filled the air, and Ardeth found himself pinned. 

"Look, you better not make another sound," someone whispered to him. "Or you'll eat a bullet!"

"We gotta get out of here, Pete!" said another voice. "That noise probably woke everyone else!"

No one spoke for a minute, and Ardeth blinked his eyes repeatedly, trying to see the thieves in the dark. 

"Looks like no one heard it," said Pete, when the house remained quiet.

"You got _that_ wrong!" they heard, just before the light came on.

Ardeth wasn't surprised to see Rick standing in the doorway pointing a shotgun, with Jonathan hiding behind him.

"You!" Jonathan yelled. 

"Let me guess," said Rick, cocking the gun. "The guys you played cards with?"

"Well…" said Jonathan, nervously. 

"I _knew_ you stole that ring!" Rick exclaimed. 

"I _didn't_!" Jonathan squeaked. "I _swear_!"

Rick sighed, shaking his head. "Get off him," he said to the man holding a gun against Ardeth's head. 

Pete complied, backing away when Rick walked forward, still pointing the shotgun as he held an arm out to Ardeth. "You okay?" he asked.

Ardeth nodded as he stood. 

"Gimme the gun," said Rick, grabbing it from Pete. "Now, before the police arrive, did you steal that ring or not, Jonathan?"

"NO!" Jonathan exclaimed. "We played poker and he used it instead of money!"

"Then may I ask WHAT you're doing in my HOUSE?!" Rick shouted to the thieves.

Pete laughed. "Your brother-in-law has a big mouth, buddy. Tell him to stop bragging about the expensive things that he—and _you_—own." 

Rick shot a look at Jonathan, who had been slowly slinking out of the room. When he heard the thief's words, he bolted. 

********************

After the police left with the thieves in tow, everyone sat down in the living room. 

Jonathan knew that a lecture was coming for him, and looked at his watch. "Well, look at that; 4am! It's past even _my_ bedtime! Goodnight, everyone!"

"Stop right there," said Rick.

Jonathan did, with a sigh.

Rick shook his head, nearly at a loss for words. "Jonathan…when are you gonna learn that your big mouth could get someone _killed_!"

Jonathan sighed again and looked at the floor, contrite. 

Rick pointed to Ardeth, who was holding an ice-filled towel against his left eye. "That guy could've shot Ardeth, all because you can't keep your mouth shut!"

Jonathan closed his eyes, feeling genuinely guilty. "I'm sorry, I really am!" 

No one said anything for a minute, and Evy sat beside Ardeth on the couch, pulling his hand away from his face. "How's it feel?" she asked, frowning at the bruise that was already forming.

Ardeth had no doubt that he would have a black eye. "I am fine, it is nothing."

Evy knew that would be his answer, and she pressed the ice back against his skin. Suddenly they heard Rachel start to cry. 

"Uh," said Jonathan, slinking towards the stairs. "I'll go check her."

Evy nodded at him, knowing that he desperately wanted to get away from the awkward situation. 

Jonathan turned and fled up the stairs, as if he were being chased by a rabid camel. 

Rick sighed, sitting in the chair opposite the couch. "Looks like you'll need a vacation after this vacation, buddy!" he exclaimed.

His words made Ardeth chuckle, and he hid a wince when pain shot through his face and head. "I think Safti will regret having done this to me after I tell him everything that occurred."

Rick nodded agreement. "I'm sure he will! Listen…Ardeth…we can't help but notice that you keep getting yourself hurt defending us and ours…"

"It is an honor, my friend," Ardeth said.

Rick and Evy both chuckled at Ardeth's often-rare attempt at humor. 

"Not that we don't appreciate it," said Rick. "But we wouldn't be very happy if you got yourself killed thanks to something that had nothing to do with you!"

Even though he knew that Ardeth would do anything to protect him and his family, Ardeth knew that Rick had to say that anyway, for the sake of his conscience.

"You should go back to bed," Evy said to Ardeth, standing and taking his arm. 

Ardeth stood, finding it humorous that she thought he needed help. "I do not need assistance, Evy, thank you."

Evy let go, watching him warily. 

"Wait, Ardeth," said Rick.

Ardeth turned to look at him, lowering the ice-filled towel.

"How did you know there were thieves in the house?" Rick asked. "I didn't hear anything."

Ardeth smiled. "Instinct." 

Rick and Evy looked at each other, both of them awed at the superior skills of their Med-jai friend.


	6. Male Bonding? LOLOL

Thank you everyone SO MUCH for your awesome reviews! I live on them, lol! :)

When Ardeth woke the next morning, he was annoyed to feel his head throbbing. His left eyeball hurt when he moved it, and he could feel the swollen skin around his eye. With a sigh, he covered his eyes with a hand. 

"Ardeth?"

He gave a slight jump at Evy's voice, having not heard the door open. 

"How do you feel?" she asked, coming closer to have a look.

"I am fine," he answered. 

Evy knew he had a headache; she'd heard his sigh and seen him cover his eyes. "Ooooooh," she exclaimed, pausing. "You have _quite_ a shiner, there. Can you see all right through that eye?"

Ardeth closed his right one, noting that his sight was slightly blurred out of his injured eye. "Yes," he said, wondering if Evy could tell that he was lying.

"Good. Stay here, I'll bring up your breakfast."

Ardeth automatically opened his mouth to refuse, but closed it. He really didn't feel like moving. However, he also found that he wasn't hungry yet. "You do not have to, Evy, I am not hungry."

"No? Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Evy hesitated. "You're not just saying that so that I don't go through the trouble, are you?"

Ardeth laughed. They both knew each other so well. "No, I really am not hungry yet."

Evy nodded, with a smile. "All right." She didn't leave the room yet, seemingly thinking about something. "You know, Ardeth, I think last night really did something to my brother."

Ardeth frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, until then, Jonathan never really saw one of his actions put someone in such serious danger. Thieves breaking in and stealing something is one thing, but this time, Jonathan saw someone actually place a gun to his friend's head; all because of something stupid that _he_ had done."

Ardeth felt sorry for Jonathan when he heard that. It must've been a terrible feeling, indeed.

"Don't feel bad, Ardeth," said Evy, seeing it in his face. "It was good that he had to experience that; maybe it changed something in him." She pursed her lips. "I think it did. He's still very upset about it."

"I shall have to tell him that I harbor no ill feelings," Ardeth said.

"I'm sure he knows that," said Evy. "But it would be nice to tell him so."

Ardeth nodded. "I will be down shortly."

"There's no reason for you to get up. Stay in bed! Catch up on the rest that you were _supposed_ to be getting this week," Evy said, with an apologetic smile. 

"All right," he agreed, just to make her happy. 

"I'll come up in a little while to see if you're hungry," Evy said.

Ardeth nodded slightly, and she left the room. Closing his eyes, he felt himself drifting on the edge of sleep again but he tried to fight it, wanting to talk to Jonathan before the poor man was consumed with guilt. Unfortunately, his body had other plans… 

"Ardeth?"

Ardeth woke at the voice, and opened his eyes. He saw Jonathan standing over him with a worried expression, but it quickly changed into a relieved one. 

"Thank God," Jonathan said. "You've been asleep for so long that Evy was afraid that you were unconscious or something."

Ardeth fought the urge to roll his eyes; his left one wouldn't appreciate it, he was sure. "It's only a black eye," he said.

Jonathan nodded. "I know, but you know Evy. Especially with you not being 100% yet from the malaria."

Ardeth knew he was right. Evy was a mother hen, and they all knew that he'd had a hard time recovering from the illness. He realized that he must look quite a sight, with the bruises around his throat from Rachel's attempted kidnapping, and now a black eye. 

Some vacation.

Ardeth suddenly realized that Jonathan was talking.

"I wanted to apologize to you," he was saying, looking at the floor. "For what happened last night. It was all my fault."

Ardeth phrased his answer carefully. "You did not know that those men would break into your house. I am glad that it was _I_ who came upon the men; the circumstances could have been much worse had it been Rick or Evy." 

Jonathan realized the truth in the statement. If Rick had been the one surprised by the thieves, Jonathan wouldn't've been aware that anything was wrong. Rick would've fought the men and probably been killed. If it had been Evy…Jonathan didn't even wish to entertain such thoughts. 

Ardeth continued. "We are all aware that you enjoy entertainment, Jonathan, but you must use wisdom. You should never enjoy it so much that caution is, how do you say, 'thrown to the wind'?"

Jonathan nodded, his head lowered like a little child. "You're right, old boy," he said. "My bragging to the world almost caused a catastrophe!"

Ardeth smiled inwardly at his words. It felt good to be regarded so highly.

"It won't happen again!" Jonathan vowed, looking at him now. "I will never allow myself to be so stupid ever again."

Ardeth smiled. "There is hope for you yet, my friend."

Jonathan chuckled at the joke. "I think you've been around us too much, old boy!"

"I would not be surprised at all," Ardeth answered, pushing the covers back. 

"Coming downstairs?" Jonathan asked.

Ardeth nodded.

"I'll tell Evy to make you something to eat," Jonathan told him, walking towards the door.

"All right," Ardeth said, getting out of the bed and walking towards the mirror. What he saw surprised him. 'Shiner' wasn't adequate to describe what surrounded his left eye and cheekbone; there were different shades of purple, black, and blue. It looked worse then he thought it would, especially when he noticed that the tattoo on his cheek seemed like it was actually part of the bruise. 

Frowning at the sight, he touched the tender skin, wondering how long he would look this way. It would definitely still be there when Safti came to get him, so he knew there was no way to keep the details from his friend.

Going downstairs, Ardeth wondered what other misfortunes would greet him over the next few days.


	7. You're all gonna LOVE this chapter, LOL!

"Hey Buddy," said Rick, as Ardeth walked into the kitchen. "Oh wow, OUCH!"

Ardeth sighed as he sat down. His pain had grown with movement. 

Rick walked closer, peering into his face. "Man, I don't think I've ever had a black eye _that_ bad!"

Evy shook her head as she wrapped some ice in a towel. "No, dear, you certainly haven't."

Ardeth wondered just how many black eyes Rick had received throughout his life, for him to give a comment like that. Taking the ice from Evy, he held it against his eye. "Thank you."

"Would you like some aspirins, old boy?" Jonathan asked, still looking guilty. 

"Please," said Ardeth. 

"That guy hit you with his fist?" Rick asked. "Looks like he hit you with his _gun_."

Ardeth couldn't remember. "Perhaps he did." With the amount of pain that he had, he realized that Rick was probably right.

Evy sighed at the look on her brother's face at those words, as he handed Ardeth the aspirins. "Here you go," she said, setting a plate and some coffee before him. 

Ardeth lowered the ice, blinking his eye to try to restore normal vision in it. When it didn't fully cooperate, he gave up and picked up the huge sandwich that Evy had made him. 

Rick walked over to Evy at the sink and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be back later," he said.

"All right," she replied, smacking his hand lightly when he reached over her and grabbed a cookie out of the cookie jar.

Rick made a face at her, sticking the whole cookie into his mouth. 

Jonathan laughed, sneaking over and grabbing a cookie for himself. 

"You boys!" Evy exclaimed in mock-frustration. 

Ardeth chuckled when they both left the kitchen. Evy tossed a towel on the counter and brought the cookie jar to the table. 

"Did the aspirins help?" Evy asked.

They hadn't yet, but Ardeth nodded anyway.

Taking a cookie out of the jar, Evy offered it to Ardeth, who took it with a smile.

"How is Rachel today?" he asked.

"Fine," Evy said. "Thank God her colic didn't last _too_ long!"

Ardeth inwardly sighed in relief. "You did not find anything missing from the house, did you?" he asked, tasting the cookie.

Evy frowned. "With the thieves having been arrested, we didn't really look..."

Ardeth sipped his coffee. "We do not know exactly how many thieves there were. There may have been others that brought things out of the house, and fled when the police came."

Evy's jaw dropped. "Oh my!" Standing, she replaced the lid on the cookie jar, but not before taking another cookie out and placing it on Ardeth's plate. "I'll go have a look," she said, leaving the kitchen. 

Ardeth picked up the cookie with a smile, eating it as he brought the dish and cup to the sink. Leaving the kitchen, he went to the library, where he knew Evy to be.

"Humm…" he heard her mumble, as she looked around. 

Ardeth saw a piece of pottery from the vase he'd accidentally broken still lying on the floor. Bending down to pick it up, he couldn't prevent a wince when his head and face responded with a throb. 

"It looks like everything is still here." Evy turned around at that moment, and saw the look of pain on his face. Rushing over, she took his arm as he straightened up. "Are you all right?"

Ardeth sighed, stopping himself before he automatically nodded. "Yes…I am sorry about your vase."

Evy echoed his sigh. "Forget about the vase; if it hadn't broken, we wouldn't have known that you were in danger! You should be lying down, you know."

Ardeth was silent as she led him out; he knew that nothing could stop Evy O'Connell when she was in mother hen mode. 

"Just rest yourself," she said, sitting him on the couch. "That _is_ what you came here for, after all!"

Ardeth shot a humored look at her. Instead of getting rest, he'd gotten injured twice! 

Suddenly Rachel started to cry, and Evy looked towards the stairs. "Someone's finished her nap!" 

Ardeth watched her walk quickly up them, amazed at the energy that she possessed. 

Evy brought Rachel downstairs, frowning when she saw Ardeth still sitting up. "Why aren't you lying down?"

"I have only been up for half an hour," Ardeth told her, with a smile. "I do not feel like lying down again." 

"Well stay put, anyway. It'll help your headache," she said. 

"I will," he promised, leaning his head back on the couch as Evy left the room.

"Ardeth?" he suddenly heard.

Opening his eyes, he was startled slightly at the voice, and realized that he'd fallen asleep. Evy was coming up behind him, not having realized that he was sleeping, since he was still sitting up.

"I'm trying to make a cake but Rachel is falling asleep again. Do you mind if I leave her here?" she asked, laying Rachel on the couch beside him.

"Not at all," Ardeth told her. 

"Thanks," said Evy, going back into the kitchen. 

Ardeth looked at the dozing baby, reaching out a hand to touch her soft hair. 

Rachel made a noise and opened her eyes, looking at him. 

Ardeth quickly removed his hand, afraid that she would start to cry, but she didn't, staring at him and waving her little arms as if he were some new toy for her to play with. 

Ardeth smiled and picked her up, laying her on his lap. How he wished that he had a child of his own.

Rachel squawked, and Ardeth suddenly noticed something; her diaper needed to be changed.

Picking her up off his lap, he placed her back on the couch, realizing that Evy couldn't change her diaper if she was making a cake…that was…well…_disgusting_. 

Standing, he picked Rachel up and headed for the nearby bathroom, hoping that what he needed would be in there. 

Rachel gurgled happily along the way, grabbing his hair. 

When Ardeth entered the bathroom, he found everything that he needed, to his utter relief. Carrying the supplies and Rachel back into the living room, he dropped a large towel on the floor and laid Rachel on it. 

With a sigh, Ardeth sat on his knees for a minute, hesitating. He didn't have very much experience with babies, but he'd seen enough of them changed throughout his lifetime. 

Rachel gurgled at him, whether trying to say, 'you can do it!' or 'hurry up, buddy!' he wasn't sure. 

Reaching forward, he uncovered her diaper._ Pins! _he realized. With a nervous sigh, Ardeth closed his still-blurred eye, not wanting to risk pinching the baby. 

He slowly removed both pins, grateful to hear Rachel's gurgling; it was proof that he hadn't pricked her. Closing the pins, he laid them aside, almost afraid to see what was in Rachel's diaper. 

Carefully peeling the cloth away, he was relieved to see that it was merely wet. Gently pulling it out from under her, he held it up in the air by a corner, looking for a place to put it. 

_What do I do now?_ he asked himself. He knew that the diapers were washable, and that Evy most likely had a bucket somewhere to put them in. Looking towards the bathroom, he assumed that it was in there. _But I cannot_ _leave Rachel on the floor…_

The towel Rachel was lying on was huge, so Ardeth pulled part of it out and laid the diaper on it, trying to roll it up without touching it. That worked, and Ardeth picked up the bottle of powder he'd found in the bathroom. 

_Wait…_he thought. _Do you still wipe a baby when there is no mess? _Realizing that it was better to be safe than sorry, Ardeth picked up the washcloth that he'd wet in the bathroom, and awkwardly cleaned her tiny body.

Rachel squawked again, kicking her legs. Ardeth wondered if the water was too cold. 

Placing the washcloth with the dirty diaper, Ardeth again picked up the powder and sprinkled it over Rachel before finally slipping the new diaper underneath her, and wrapping it. Reaching out for the pins, he closed his injured eye again as he focused on not only preventing injury to Rachel, but also making sure he affixed the pins correctly. 

When he finished, he sighed in relief. He'd managed to successfully change Rachel's diaper! 

Holding her in one arm, he picked up the diaper by a tiny edge again, holding it out in front of him as if it contained the plague. Bringing it into the bathroom, he found the expected pail and dropped it inside. _Now…how do I hold a baby and wash my hands at the same time? _Looking down at Rachel, he saw that she appeared to be half asleep. Gingerly shifting her to his left arm, he washed his free hand and switched her to his right arm so he could wash the other. With a sigh of relief at his success, he left the bathroom. 

When he reached the couch again, he realized that he was one _tired_ Med-jai. He'd pushed his headache to the back of his mind as he took care of Rachel, but now that he was finished, he felt it anew. 

Sitting on the couch, he saw that Rachel was still asleep, and he carefully lay down, holding her to his chest. Closing his eyes with a sigh, he quickly joined her in slumber. 

********************

Taking her cake out of the oven, Evy inhaled its scent, smiling in anticipation of tasting a piece. Placing the pan on the counter, she kicked something on the floor and looked down. It was one of Rachel's rattles. _My goodness! _she realized. _I left poor Ardeth watching her all this time! _

Leaving the kitchen, she went into the living room, and stopped dead at what she saw.

Ardeth was asleep on the couch once again with Rachel on his chest. 

Smiling ear-to-ear, Evy walked closer, enjoying the adorable sight. She saw some things on the floor, and her eyebrows went up. _Ardeth Bay, Leader of the Med-jai, changed Rachel's diaper! How I wish I could've seen that! _She couldn't stop the soft chuckle that escaped her lips. _Wait till I tell Rick! _


	8. The Flying Medjai LOL

Hearing a noise, Ardeth woke from his nap and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Rachel still lying on his chest, and she'd started to squirm.

Seeing movement from his left, he turned his head to see Rick bending over, about to pick her up. 

"Oh, hey buddy," said Rick, when he saw him awake. "I was gonna take her, I didn't want her to disturb you. Sorry."

"It is all right," he said, removing his hand from Rachel's tiny back to allow Rick to pick her up. 

"How's your head?" Rick asked, taking a look at his daughter's diaper.

"It feels better," Ardeth told him.

"Great," said Rick, smiling. Sitting in the chair opposite his friend, he laid Rachel on his lap. "You did a great job on her diaper."

Ardeth smiled. "Thank you. It was an interesting experience."

Rick chuckled. "I know what you mean."

A sudden rumble filled the room, followed by the sound of a downpour. 

Rick looked towards the window. "Rain! Just what we needed."

"You can say that again," said Evy, walking into the room. "My garden is thirsty! How do you feel, Ardeth?"

"I am fine," he told her, sitting up. 

Evy sat on the arm of Rick's chair, looking at Rachel. "Thank you for changing her, Ardeth! Did you have any difficulty?" 

Ardeth thought back to the incident. "No," he said. 

Rick chuckled, as if not believing him. 

"Anyone want tea?" Evy asked. "I'll go put on the teapot."

"Yeah," said Rick.

"If it's not too much trouble," said Ardeth.

"None at all!" Evy said, going into the kitchen.

Rachel gurgled at Rick, and he started making faces at her. "Oochie woochie coochie coo!" 

Ardeth couldn't help but laugh, as Rick tickled his daughter, making her gurgle again.

"Oh, drat!" they suddenly heard.

"Evy?" Rick exclaimed.

"The roof is leaking!" she called.

Rick made a face.

Ardeth blinked. "Is that difficult to fix?"

Rick shrugged. "Depends," he sighed. "When the rain stops, wanna come up to the roof? I'll show ya."

Ardeth nodded. "All right." 

A few minutes later, Evy came back with the tea.

"How bad is the leak?" Rick asked.

Evy shrugged. "Not too bad I guess, but noticeable. I would imagine it should be fixed before it gets any worse."

"Where exactly is it?"

"Over the stove," she told him, pouring the tea.

Rick grimaced. "Not good."

Evy shook her head, handing Ardeth a cup. "No. I put a bucket to catch the water."

Rick nodded, drinking his tea. The storm was over before they finished. 

"Fast mover," Rick commented. "Ready?"

Ardeth nodded slightly, standing. 

"Shouldn't you wait until the roof is dry?" Evy asked.

Rick shook his head. "Nope. If you go into the kitchen and hit the ceiling with a broomstick where the leak is, then maybe I can see from up there where the water is getting in."

"Ah," said Evy, seeing the logic.

Ardeth followed him through the house as Rick grabbed some tools, and they went outside, Rick grabbing a ladder.

"Follow the leader!" he said, quickly climbing it. 

Ardeth obeyed. When he reached the top, he took Rick's helping hand and carefully climbed onto the roof. 

"Pretty high, huh?" said Rick. "Don't look down!" he joked.

Of course Ardeth did, and he felt a slight touch of anxiety when he saw just _how_ high they were. He hated being in the air; after flying on the wing of Winston's plane and then crashing, or flying in Izzy's dirigible…and crashing…

"Good ol' Evy," he suddenly heard. 

Turning, he saw Rick tracking the sound of soft thumping from Evy's broomstick, and he followed, walking carefully on the slanted, wet roof.

Rick knelt, and Ardeth did the same. "Humm," Rick said, tracing his hand along the shingles. "Look at this."

Ardeth watched as he lifted up a shingle, showing that it had detached itself. 

Rick pounded on the roof to tell Evy she could stop with the broom, and then took the shingle off, looking under it. Turning around, he saw his hammer near the ladder. "Mind grabbing that for me?"

Ardeth nodded, and stood. Unexpectedly, a corner of his robes had ended up under his boot, and he stumbled, falling down and landing crookedly on his right ankle. Unfortunately, it didn't end there, as he slipped on the wet shingles…

"WHOA!" Rick yelled, reaching out to grab him as Ardeth went over the side of the house.

Ardeth's quick reflexes saved his life, as he managed to grab onto the edge of the roof, hanging on for dear life.

"Ardeth!" Rick yelled, grabbing his arms, slipping slightly himself.

Ardeth watched with alarm, knowing that the roof was too slippery for Rick to be able to pull him up. "No!" he exclaimed. "You will also fall!" 

"Ardeth!" they suddenly heard. "Rick! What happened!"

They realized that she'd obviously heard their yelling. 

"Stay there, Evy!" Ardeth tried to yell, from his precarious position. The last thing he wanted was to fall on her.

Rick gripped Ardeth's arms tightly. "You have to pull yourself up!" He knew that if he pulled his friend, he'd slip himself and either cause Ardeth to lose his grip, or send them _both_ over. 

Ardeth knew he was right, and tried to do it. The effort caused his headache to throb mercilessly, and his arms shook, still not having regained all of his strength from his recent illness. 

"Oh, God, _no_!" Evy suddenly yelled, obviously having disobeyed Ardeth's command. 

"Come on, buddy," Rick said, seeing his strain. "With everything you've survived, it'd be really dumb for you to get killed from falling off my roof!"

Ardeth smiled slightly, grunting with the act of trying to get up high enough to hook one elbow in the gutter, gaining some leverage. 

Rick leaned back, now pulling his friend, hoping that he wouldn't slip now that Ardeth was more stable. 

Ardeth managed to hook his other elbow in the gutter, but now he was stuck, as his elbows weren't capable to pull up the rest of his body. He tried to swing his leg up, but the roof wasn't flat, so he wasn't stable enough to be able to hold on and do that at the same time. 

Seeing this, Rick placed his feet against the gutter and slouched his body down, pulling Ardeth again, hoping he wouldn't accidentally detach the gutter from the house and send his friend to his death. "Come on! Quick! Before the gutter lets go!" he exclaimed, but his statement was met with an ominous creaking sound…

Did I really leave it off there? *Hides from outraged readers* Oops! LOL! 


	9. SPLAT! lol

Oh my gosh…my poor readers! I would've NEVER left you with such a cliffhanger (or should I say 'roofhanger'? LOL!) if I'd known that ff.net wasn't going to let anyone upload chapters all this time! I am sooooooooooo sorry! I'll shut up now, so you can see if Ardeth fell off the roof or not! LOL

The sound of the gutter starting to separate from the house provided Ardeth and Rick with extra adrenaline, allowing Ardeth to scramble up further, finally making it onto his stomach. 

Rick quickly let go of Ardeth's arms and grabbed him under his armpits, dragging him further onto the roof. 

When Ardeth felt his knees make contact with the shingles, he sighed in relief, his racing heart doing a wild flutter. 

Rick didn't let go of his friend as Ardeth crawled further onto the roof and collapsed to the wet shingles with a ragged breath.

Rick let out a deep breath himself, calming his own frantic heartbeat. "You okay?"

Ardeth didn't answer for a minute, breathing heavily, commanding his seemingly rubberized body to act like a Med-jai. "Yes."

"Totally?" Rick exclaimed. "You didn't hurt yourself _anywhere?_ Tell me the truth, buddy, I don't want to see you stand up and then fall off the roof again thanks to some injury that you're hiding from me."

Ardeth sighed. _Why do these things always happen to me? _"My right ankle…I landed on it when I fell."

Rick grimaced. He knew that ankle injuries hurt a _lot_. "Do you think it's broken?"

Ardeth thought for a minute. It was killing him, but he tried to move it and succeeded. "No, most likely sprained." He tried to turn onto his back, and Rick helped him.

"Will you be able to climb down the ladder?" Rick asked.

Ardeth nodded, knowing that he had no choice. 

"Rick! Talk to me or I'm coming _up_ there!" Evy yelled.

They both realized that she'd been yelling to them all this time. "He's fine, Evy!" Rick yelled. "We're coming down!" Standing, he pulled Ardeth to his feet, holding onto him when he kept his weight off his right leg. "See if you can put any weight on it."

Ardeth obeyed, taking a step with a noticeable limp. 

Rick sighed at the wince on Ardeth's face. "Sheesh, could anything _more_ happen to you this week?"

Ardeth chuckled, despite the situation. "You took the thought out of my head, my friend."

Rick shook his head, sticking a shoulder under Ardeth's arm, slowly helping him towards the ladder. "It's, 'you took the words out of my mouth'."

"But I did not _say_ it, I _thought_ it," said Ardeth. 

Rick realized the truth in the statement. "Got a point, there." Reaching the ladder, he looked down, to see Evy nervously awaiting them. "I'm gonna get on the ladder first, so that if your leg can't take it, I can help you. Will you be able to get onto the ladder yourself?"

Ardeth nodded.

"Okay." Rick carefully sat Ardeth on the roof so he could get on the ladder easier, and then climbed onto it, stepping down a few rungs and waiting. 

Ardeth scooted closer, swinging his left foot onto the ladder and gripping the sides tightly. Touching his right foot to the rung, he tried to see how much weight he could place on it.

"Okay?" Rick asked.

"Yes," said Ardeth. "I think I can manage."

"Good," said Rick. "Take it slow."

Ardeth obeyed, walking down one rung at a time, stepping down with his good leg and bringing down his bad one, not putting weight on it until he had to go down the next rung. 

Rick went down just as slowly, making sure that Ardeth had no difficulty. After Rick made it to the bottom, he grabbed Ardeth's arm when he was within touching distance.

Ardeth finally made it all the way, and was very relieved when he felt the ground beneath him. 

"Ardeth!" Evy exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "You were almost killed!"

Ardeth submitted to her hug, glancing up to see just how far he'd nearly fallen.

"Let's get him inside, Evy," said Rick. "He hurt his leg."

"Oooh!" Evy said, letting go.

The two of them helped Ardeth into the house and onto the couch, where Evy fussed over him. 

"Let me see it, Ardeth!"

"It is nothing, Evy, just a sprain," he protested. 

"I need to see how bad it is!" she exclaimed. "If it's swollen, you'll need ice to bring it down!"

Ardeth sighed, seeing truth in the statement. "All right."

Evy sat on the couch, pulling his leg into her lap. "Why are you so stubborn, Ardeth? You need to take care of injuries, you can't just ignore them!"

Ardeth knew she was right, but he hated to be fussed over, preferring to take care of minor injuries himself.

"See?" Evy said. "Look at the swelling."

Ardeth saw it, but it didn't look _too_ bad. "As Rick would say, it could be worse."

Evy nodded, with a slight smile. "Yes, it could, you were lucky. I'll be right back."

Ardeth sighed as she went to get the ice. What a sight he would make for Safti when his friend came back to get him; with bruises around his neck, a blackened eye and cheekbone, and a limp.

"What's so funny?" he suddenly heard Rick say as he came back in from nailing the roof shingle.

"I was just thinking of Safti's reaction when he next sees me," Ardeth told him.

Rick smiled at that, laughing himself. "He's sure gonna regret sending you here!" He stopped next to the couch, looking down at Ardeth's ankle. "Ouch."

"You poor thing," said Evy, quickly returning. "What you've been through all week, when you were supposed to be vacationing!"

Ardeth gave her an ironic grin, forcing his expression to remain neutral as the ice touched his ankle. Suddenly they heard thunder again, and everyone looked towards the kitchen, wondering if the leak was really fixed. 

A downpour began, and Evy stood and went into the kitchen. "It's not leaking!" she called out. "Yet."

"I heard that!" said Rick. He looked at Ardeth when the Med-jai tried to shift his position. "I think you need to stay in the house for the rest of your stay," Rick said. "That way, you'll still be alive when Safti gets here!"

Ardeth chuckled. "Is that a guarantee?"

"Ack!" they suddenly heard, as the front door opened and slammed. "I'm a drowned rat!" 

"We already knew that, Jonathan," said Rick.

Jonathan waved his arm at Rick, spraying him with water. "Very funny. What's to eat around here—" He stopped when he caught sight of Ardeth. "Ah…what happened to your leg?"

"He fell off the roof!" Rick told him.

"WHAT?!" Jonathan exclaimed. "The roof of our _house_?!"

"No, the roof of the _car_," Rick said, sarcastically.

Ardeth sighed heavily in reply.

Evy walked into the room, carrying Rachel. "They went on the roof to fix a leak and he slipped!" She shook her head, still distressed at the scene in her mind. "He had to hang on for dear life!"

Jonathan was shocked. "Bloody—!" he stopped himself when he saw his niece. "—I mean, er…_whoa_."

Okay, now…everyone who thought I was gonna let Ardeth fall off the roof, raise your hand! LOL


	10. Just When You Thought it was Safe

Hi everyone…I hate to ask this, but if you reviewed my story in the past week, would you consider redoing it? It appears that ff.net ATE them! LOL! This story was a record: the fastest I ever made it to 100 reviews, LOL! It said I had 114, but now—including the ones I already got for chap 9—it only says 96 on my stats page, which is more reliable then the story page, lol. You can check the reviews and see if yours is still there, it appears that ones done on the night of June 9 to June 13 are the ones missing. I'd really appreciate it. If you do, maybe I _won't_ have the O'Connell's piano fall on Ardeth…kidding! ROTFL! ;)

Dinner that night was delicious, with Evy going all out; feeling guilty at what Ardeth had gone through all week. _At least he can say he was well-fed! _she thought.

After supper, she served everyone the cake she'd made, and forced Ardeth to eat two pieces, trying to help him gain back the weight he'd lost due to the malaria. 

Ardeth felt a sense of déjà vu as he went to bed, wondering if this night would pass uneventfully…unlike most of the others. 

_Please…_he found himself praying. _Just one restful night…please…_

When he next opened his eyes, he was shocked to see daylight streaming through the window. He lay there, dumbfounded, feeling as if minutes had passed, not hours. He could tell from the angle of the sun that it was mid-morning, and he was shocked to see that he'd slept uninterrupted the entire night. 

_Today is Saturday, _he thought. _It took me this long to get a good night's sleep! _

Shifting his position, he moved his right ankle, testing its mobility. It protested, as expected, but Ardeth knew that it could've been worse. 

Getting up, he dressed and left his room. Limping towards the stairs, he gripped the rail tightly as he slowly descended them. A few steps from the bottom, his ankle gave out just as he stepped down with his good leg, so he wasn't able to catch himself. 

Rick heard a thump from the kitchen as Evy cooked, and went to investigate. When he saw Ardeth trying to pick himself off the floor, he quickly ran over.

"PLEASE don't tell me you fell down the stairs!" he exclaimed. "You all right?"

Ardeth nodded, as Rick helped him stand. "I did not fall the entire flight, my leg gave out near the bottom."

Rick sighed, lending him a hand as they walked to the kitchen. "Heh, maybe you should stay in bed for the rest of your stay! At least you can't get hurt anymore _that way!"_

Ardeth shot a look at him that was half humored, half stern.

"Good morning, Ardeth!" Evy exclaimed.

"Good morning," he replied, sitting at the table.

"How do you feel today?"

"I am doing better," Ardeth told her. "The bruises around my neck pain me only when touched and my eye is hurting less."

"And your ankle?" she asked, setting plates on the table.

"It is not bad," he said. 

"I was just telling him," said Rick, shoving food into his mouth. "He should stay in bed the rest of his stay where it's nice and safe."

"Yeah," said a yawning Jonathan, shuffling into the kitchen. "With what's been happening to you, old boy, I won't be surprised if you ran screaming into the desert praying for Imhotep to awaken and save you from this vacation!"

Evy's jaw dropped at that line, and she tsked. "Don't even _say such a thing!" She shook her head, and smiled at their Med-jai friend. "I have a relaxing, non-dangerous day planned."_

Ardeth shot her an inquiring look.

"I am making a huge picnic lunch and we are going to spend the day outside," she told him. "There is a wonderful breeze out there, and I think we should make the most of it!"

"I wholeheartedly agree!" exclaimed a yawning Jonathan, as he shuffled into the kitchen. "Does this picnic include whiskey?"

"Of course not!" Evy said.

Jonathan rolled his eyes as he sat down. "Drat."

********************

Much to Ardeth's relief, the day turned out to indeed be relaxing and injury-free. Rachel didn't even cry much, but one time that she did, Ardeth was surprised when Rick handed her to him.

Rick held up his finger as if to say 'wait', and within seconds, Rachel stopped crying. "Ha! I knew it! She loves ya, buddy."

Ardeth smiled, looking down at the baby. "I believe she does."

As if she knew she was being spoken about, Rachel gurgled. 

"That's quite a compliment when a baby likes you," said Evy. "It's said that they can sense what people are like."

Ardeth nodded. "I believe that also. Babies are pure of heart, and along with their growing senses, they develop discerning abilities as well."

"She can tell when Uncle Johnny has had too much to drink," said Rick.

"Hey!" said Jonathan, shooting him a mock-hurt look. "I resemble that remark."

Rachel giggled at Ardeth, and everyone laughed when it seemed like she'd reacted to Jonathan's statement. 

The rest of the day passed slowly, and they enjoyed every minute of it, not going back into the house until after dark. 

"Well, how do you like that," said Jonathan. "An entire day passed without misfortune to Ardeth here!"

"Thank God," said Evy, heading into the kitchen.

"The night's still young, though!" Jonathan said, earning a stern look from Rick, who handed Rachel to him.

"Go change her," he commanded, rather than asked.

Jonathan obeyed, knowing he had no choice.

Ardeth chuckled, when Rick rolled his eyes at Jonathan's retreating back, and sat on the couch silently. "He was joking."

"I know," Rick said. "But Jonathan has no brain…saying things like that. He doesn't think before he speaks."

Ardeth didn't get a chance to answer, as Evy came back in with cake. She handed him the biggest piece, which he had a feeling she would do. "Thank you."

She smiled at him, sitting down with her own piece. 

Jonathan came back after putting Rachel to bed, and devoured nearly the rest of the cake.

"You bake very well, Evy," said Ardeth, when he finished.

"_Tell_ me about it!" Jonathan agreed, his mouth full.

Ardeth looked at him, puzzled. "I just did."

"No, I mean…" Jonathan sputtered. "I was agreeing with you."

Rick chuckled. 

"Thank you!" Evy said, smiling. "I enjoy it."

"Well!" said Jonathan, sitting his empty plate down. "I would _also_ enjoy something _else_ right now, as a matter of fact…" 

Ardeth stood, shooting an amused look at Jonathan, who had jogged towards a brandy bottle. "I think I shall retire early," he said. 

Evy and Rick nodded, knowing that he'd lost sleep this week, rather than gaining the extra he'd hoped to get.

Crossing to the window in his room, Ardeth admired the view of the moon, and watched as the trees swayed gently in the wind. Opening the window, he allowed the breeze access to his room, and fell asleep enjoying it's soft caress—

—only to wake up coughing on smoke. 

Sitting up, Ardeth saw the black cloud entering his open window, and knew what it meant; fire. Leaping out of bed, he forgot about his ankle and almost fell flat on his face. Holding onto the wall, he made his way to the window as fast as he could, trying to see where the fire was coming from.

Reaching the window, he looked out it, to see that it appeared that the neighboring house was ablaze. He couldn't see the house from his window, so he left his room and limped down the hall, entering Rachel's room, which he knew would be facing the home in question.

He was right; the house next door was a raging inferno, and with growing horror, Ardeth could see that the fire was close enough to be a danger to them.

Picking up Rachel, he went to Jonathan's room first and opened the door. "Jonathan!"

At the sound of his name, Jonathan startled violently and fell out of his bed. "What?!" he cried, instantly awake. 

"There is a massive fire next door, take Rachel and leave the house!"

Jonathan sputtered half-words, shocked. 

"Now!" the Med-jai exclaimed. "Take her to safety while I wake the others!"

Jonathan came out of his shock at the notion of protecting his niece. Nodding, he took her and quickly made for the stairs. "Hurry, now!" he said.

"We will. Whatever happens, stay outside!" Ardeth told him, run-limping to the master bedroom. He nearly grabbed the handle to open the door, before realizing that they might not be decent. He suddenly realized that he didn't even know what time it was. "Rick!" he said, pounding on the door. "Evy!"

"What the—?" he heard Rick's sleepy voice. "Huh? Ardeth?"

"We must get outside, there is a fire at your neighbor's house!" 

Muffled words and thumps were suddenly heard. 

The door suddenly flung open, and Rick grabbed Ardeth's arm, knowing that he would need help to get out of the house quickly. 

"Rachel and Jonathan!" Evy exclaimed.

"They are already out," Ardeth told her, before she had the chance to panic.

When they finally made it outside, Jonathan was sitting on the sidewalk across the street, holding Rachel tightly. He handed her to Evy when they reached them.

"Wow…" was all Rick could say, as they stared at the wild flames. He saw with relief that everyone who lived next door had gotten out, and were huddled together on the sidewalk, either crying or staring in utter shock. 

Sirens could suddenly be heard in the distance as the fire brigade neared the house. People came out of their homes to set up an assembly line, and Rick grabbed Jonathan by the arm, intending to join them. 

"Stay with Evy, Ardeth," Rick told him. "Jonathan, come with me."

Jonathan gulped.

"I am capable of helping to put out a fire," Ardeth argued. "Jonathan can stay with them."

Jonathan sighed in relief at that.

"I _know_ you are," said Rick. "On any _other_ day. But right now, _Jonathan_ isn't the one who's bruised up and limping."

Ardeth frowned, but he knew that Rick was right. 

"And Jonathan isn't the one recovering from malaria!" Evy threw in, looking at her brother. "Hop to it!"

Grumbling under his breath, Jonathan got up and followed Rick. 

With a sigh, Evy sat on the sidewalk, motioning for Ardeth to join her. The two of them could do nothing but silently watch everyone's efforts to put out the flames. They could both see that there was no way to save the house; the fire was too severe. All they could do now was pray that the fire would leave their home untouched…


	11. Rachel Loves Ardeth! Awww! lol

Everyone slept late the next morning, having not been able to re-enter the house until after dawn; the fire had raged on for a long time despite the furious attempt to put it out. 

Thankfully, the fire hadn't touched the O'Connell home.

When Ardeth awoke it was well past noon, and he felt groggy, thanks to the odd sleep pattern. For a while he simply lay there, realizing that Safti would be arriving the next day to get him. _I wonder if anymore tragedies will occur before than, _he thought. 

Getting out of bed, he limped to the mirror to see that the bruises around his neck and eye were still quite visible. In fact, they'd started to change color, which actually enhanced them. There was no possible way to hide them from his friend.

Suddenly hearing Rachel gurgling down the hall, he left his room and went to hers; picking her up before she could start crying. He realized that everyone else in the house must still be asleep, and so he took her downstairs, taking a bottle from the fridge and heating it up the way he'd seen Evy do it, hoping he wouldn't accidentally set fire to _their_ home.

Rachel didn't cry even once during that time, and after he was sure the bottle was all right, he took her into the living room and sat on the couch, hoping she was hungry.

Rachel happily sucked on the bottle, and the sight made Ardeth long for a child of his own. 

"Well, I'll be!" he suddenly heard.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw Jonathan coming down the stairs, grinning ear-to-ear at the sight of Ardeth feeding Rachel.

Ardeth smiled. "Why is it that everyone thinks me incapable of caring for an infant?" he asked. "I am not a barbarian."

Jonathan's jaw dropped. "We don't think you're a barbarian! We just assumed that you don't have much experience with babies." 

Ardeth nodded. "I know, I was joking. You forget that Safti has children and that they are like a niece and nephew to me."

Jonathan nodded. "Ah…you have a point there! We didn't think of that." 

Rachel suddenly made a noise that sounded like she was under water, and Ardeth realized that she didn't want anymore milk. He put the bottle down and wiped her face with a clean towel he'd gotten from a kitchen drawer. 

"Oooh!" they suddenly heard.

Looking up, they saw Evy and Rick both coming down the stairs.

"How sweet!" said Evy. "Thank you for feeding her, Ardeth."

Ardeth smiled. "It was a pleasure."

"It won't be when she spits up on you!" said Jonathan. 

Rick chuckled, going over to Ardeth and giving Rachel a light tap on the nose. "How's my little Rache?" he asked in baby-talk.

"Don't call her that," said Jonathan.

Rick shot him a look. "Why not?"

"'Rache' means 'revenge' in German."

Everyone shot him a surprised look. 

"Seriously?" asked Rick.

Jonathan nodded.

"Wow," Rick said, looking at his wife. "Can you believe it, Evy? Jonathan DOES have a brain!"

"Shh!" Jonathan exclaimed. "Don't tell anyone! I don't want to ruin my reputation." 

********************

"So," said Rick, as they sat in the living room after dinner. "This is your last night here. I bet you're eager to go home!"

Ardeth chuckled. "Nothing that happened was your fault, my friend. It was simply—"

"Bad luck?" said Rick.

Ardeth gave the Med-jai version of a shrug.

Rick shook his head. "When Safti sees you, he's probably gonna wanna kill us!" 

The thought made Ardeth chuckle. "Perhaps I shall tell him that _Jonathan_ is responsible."

Rick busted out laughing at the thought of the 6'5 warrior chasing his much smaller brother-in-law, with Jonathan screaming at the top of his lungs. "Boy would _that_ be a sight!"

The Grandfather clock suddenly struck ten, and Ardeth knew that he'd better get some sleep before the long journey back to his tribe. "I shall leave you with that amusing thought," he said, smiling as he stood.

Rick chuckled again. "'Night."

"Goodnight." 

It felt like déjà vu when Ardeth climbed into bed, as once again he prayed for a restful night. _If luck were truly a factor, as Rick thinks, then this night will likely be my worst! _he thought.

A sudden thump made him startle awake, and he jumped out of bed before he had the chance to even think, assuming that thieves were in the house again. He stood too hard on his injured leg and quickly took his weight off it, leaning against the bed. Coming fully awake, he realized that sunlight was streaming through his window. _Morning!_ With a grateful sigh, he saw that he'd slept uninterrupted through the night. 

Crossing to his mirror, he studied his bruises, imagining the look on Safti's face when he saw him. 'Shock' would be too light of a word. 

Going downstairs, he heard Evy laughing, and wondered if Safti had already arrived. When he entered the kitchen he didn't see his friend; Evy was laughing at Jonathan, who was holding Rachel, a bottle…and wearing a shirt covered in white goo.

"Typical!" Jonathan exclaimed. "When _you_ fed her it went all perfectly smoothly, but when _I_ feed her she spits up on me!"

Ardeth chuckled as he sat down. "It is only milk, my friend."

"Ha ha, well, let see how YOU like it!" Jonathan said, handing him the gurgling baby and setting the bottle on the table. 

Ardeth picked up the bottle and held it to Rachel's lips, who sucked on it quietly. 

Jonathan watched, waiting for her to spit up again. 

Evy had a feeling that she wouldn't, but didn't say anything as she finished cooking. 

Rick walked into the room, smiling at the sight of Ardeth feeding the baby and Rachel's breakfast all over his brother-in-law. "Taking lessons, Jonathan?"

Jonathan made a face at him. "Shut up."

Rick laughed, going over to Evy and kissing her on the cheek and looking in the pan. "Smells good!"

"I'm glad _something_ does," said Jonathan, carefully removing his dirty shirt. 

Rachel drank her milk without incident, scrunching her little face when she was finished. 

Ardeth put the bottle down, and looked at Jonathan as if to say, 'that was easy'.

Rick busted out laughing at the Med-jai's show of humor. "Looks like he showed you how it's done, Jonathan!"

Jonathan stuck his tongue, knowing they were joking with him. "Almost finished, old mum?" he asked Evy. 

Ardeth wondered how someone who ate so much could remain so thin.

"Almost!" Evy confirmed.

"Good. Be right back," he said, leaving to get a clean shirt. When he returned, the plate of eggs on the table was empty. "Hey!" he exclaimed.

Rick smirked, holding out a dish that he'd been hiding under the table. 

Jonathan snorted. "I _say_…everyone's picking on me today, even Rachel!"

"I am sure _she_ is not doing it on purpose," said Ardeth. 

Rachel giggled right after he spoke, making everyone laugh. 

"I think she'll be sorry to see you go, Ardeth!" said Evy. 

_So will we, _Jonathan thought. _Now there won't be anyone here who can make her stop crying!_

"Do you know what time Safti is supposed to arrive?" Rick asked, handing his dirty dish to Evy.

Ardeth shook his head. "No…I would imagine soon, unless he intends for us to camp overnight on the way back."

"Maybe you should ask him to," said Jonathan. "Get some extra rest before getting back to duty at the tribe!"

Evy sighed as she took Ardeth's dish. "I'm so sorry that your stay went so…badly," she said, not able to think up a better word for it.

"It was no one's fault," he said. "Not even Jonathan's."

Jonathan made a face. "Hey!"


	12. The Trouble just doesn't Stop lol

As they awaited Safti's arrival, the men decided to straighten up the library, after the mess that the thieves had left. 

"You don't have to help, Ardeth," said Rick, as he placed books back on a shelf, in the wrong order. 

"I do not mind," said Ardeth, rearranging them the right way. 

"Yeah, well, at least you can't get hurt while fixing books!" Jonathan said, pushing a piece of furniture back where it belonged.

Ardeth fought the urge to roll his eyes at the Englishman, instead concentrating on what he was doing. 

Leaving Ardeth to the books—a non-strenuous job—Rick moved on to the heavier objects. He saw a huge battle shield that had belonged to…some Pharaoh, and from its location, he saw that the thieves had tried to take it. That really irked him, and he lifted it, carrying it to where it was supposed to be. 

Ardeth placed a book in it's rightful place, and heard a *thump* when a book on the other side fell off. Limping to the other side of the bookcase, he bent down to pick it up.

Rick didn't see him, and came around the corner with the huge shield in front of him. He suddenly felt it hit something, and set it down, looking around it. 

Ardeth was on the floor, pushing himself up.

"I'm so sorry!" Rick exclaimed, kneeling beside him and helping him sit. "You okay? How's your ankle?"

Ardeth sighed, looking at his hand. "My leg is not the problem _this_ time…"

Looking down, Rick saw blood covering Ardeth's left palm. "Whoa! How'd you do _that_?!"

Ardeth looked towards the floor where a large, jagged piece of pottery lay. "It appears that a piece of Evy's vase escaped our notice…"

Rick sighed, pulling him to his feet. "I'm _so_ sorry," he repeated, feeling like a jerk.

Ardeth shook his head as they left the library. "It is not your fault." 

"Evy!" Rick shouted. 

"I think she's upstairs," said Jonathan, who'd been walking back in. He caught sight of Ardeth's hand wrapped within part of his robe. "Something wrong?"

"He cut himself…" said Rick, running towards the stairs. Just as he opened his mouth to yell for his wife, she appeared at the top.

"Did you call me?" she asked.

Rick nodded. "Ardeth cut his hand on a piece of your vase—"

"Oooh!" Evy exclaimed, quickly coming down the stairs with Rachel. When she reached the bottom, she handed her daughter to Jonathan. "Come into the kitchen," she said to them.

Following her, Ardeth shook his head, unable to believe that he'd managed to sustain _another_ injury! __

Leading Ardeth over to the sink, Evy turned on the water and pulled his hand out from within his robes, her eyes widening when she saw the size of the bloodstain, and the speed in which the cut continued to bleed. "I think you need stitches!" she said, holding his hand under the water.

Rick agreed. "I'll get the first aid kit." Turning around, he jogged towards the door, nearly bumping into someone when he opened it. "Safti!"

Ardeth turned around when he heard that, to see his second-in-command walking into the kitchen.

"Ardeth!" Safti exclaimed. "How was your—" he stopped when he caught sight of Ardeth's black eye. Walking closer, he saw his friend's bleeding hand in the sink.

Ardeth closed his eyes, not sure if he should sigh or laugh at Safti's reaction when he saw _all_ of his injuries. 

"What happened?!" Safti shouted. He suddenly caught sight of the bruises around his friend's throat, and grabbed the neck of Ardeth's robes, pulling them down to expose them further.  

Rick came back in with the first aid kit, and Evy took Ardeth's hand out of the sink. "Now's not the time, Safti, this needs to be stitched."

Safti started muttering in Arabic, so soft that even Ardeth couldn't tell what he was saying. Holding his friend's arm as they crossed to the table, Safti was further shocked at Ardeth's obvious limp.

They sat down, and Evy wrapped Ardeth's still bleeding hand with a towel while she dug through her supplies. 

"What caused all this?!" Safti exclaimed, noting that the bruises didn't appear fresh. 

Ardeth finally spoke, trying to hide the sheepish grin. "_Many_ different things."

Safti's puzzled expression deepened further, if possible, and he watched as Evy unwrapped Ardeth's hand again, frowning at the amount of blood that had soaked the towel.

Evy made a face. "It's a good thing I know how to do this…" she said.

Rick winced at the sight of the deep, jagged cut. "Sorry," Rick said, even though he'd already apologized twice.

Safti turned to look at him, in shock. "YOU did this?"

Ardeth's good hand shot out to grab Safti's arm. "It was an accident."

"Right," Jonathan said, nervous at the thought of the huge Safti getting mad at one of them. "Completely not-done-on-purpose! Right, Rick?"

Safti sighed. "I did not think it was done 'on purpose'," he said. "I merely wish to know what in the world happened!"

"Well," said Rick, with a sigh. "I accidentally bumped into him and he fell, I guess because his ankle is weak, and he landed on a piece of pottery from a vase that broke when…uh…"

"When what?" said Safti. "And what happened to his ankle?"

"One thing at a time, old chap," said Jonathan.

Rick shrugged. "When the thieves broke in."

"Thieves?!"

"Yup," said Jonathan, bouncing the gurgling Rachel. "Which is how he got the black eye."

Safti shook his head, giving Ardeth a sympathetic look when he winced, as Evy started to stitch his hand. "So, what you are telling me is that thieves broke in and one of them hit Ardeth, during which a vase broke, and Ardeth later cut his hand on?"

Everyone nodded. 

"That does not explain his ankle!"

Ardeth sighed, saying nothing, trying to force the pain from Evy's stitching out of his brain. 

"Well…" said Rick. "That happened when he slipped on wet shingles on my roof."

Safti's eyes bugged out of his head. "What was Ardeth doing on your _roof_?!"

"I was showing him how to fix a leak," Rick told him, sheepishly.

Safti made a face at him, as if to say, 'why would he need to know how to do THAT!' 

Rick wisely left out mention of Ardeth falling off the roof, as he waited for the next question.

"How did he get these?" Safti asked, pointing to the bruises around Ardeth's throat.

Everyone sighed, not speaking for a minute. 

"Someone tried to kidnap Rachel," Ardeth told him, sparing his friends from having to say it.

"Oh," said Safti, asking no further questions.


	13. Bye Bye to the Disastrous O'Connell Home...

Everyone silently watched Evy carefully stitch Ardeth's hand, admiring the Med-jai's inner strength. Jonathan knew that if _he_ were the one receiving the stitches, he'd _never_ be so quiet. 

Evy seemed to have a similar thought. "How you doing, Ardeth?"

"Fine," he told her, as everyone expected him to say.

When Evy finished, she wrapped his hand with a bandage. "Now, make sure you keep sand out of it…well, I imagine you already know that."

Ardeth gave her a slight smile in reply.

"From what I've heard so far," said Safti. "I should have returned _days_ ago! I imagine that you are eager to return to camp?" 

Everyone made apologetic faces at Ardeth, even though Safti's tone was humored. 

"I keep telling them that none of this was their fault," said Ardeth. "Perhaps they will listen if _you_ say it?"

Safti looked at them. "As shocked and upset as I am to hear what happened, you know as well as I that no one here is at fault."

The O'Connell's all nodded. 

_Heh, _thought Rick. _And he doesn't even know that Ardeth fell off the roof, or that Rachel kept disturbing his sleep…_

"Would you like something to eat before you leave?" Evy asked Safti.

Safti shook his head. "I have already eaten, thank you." He stood. "Are you ready to go, Ardeth?"

Jonathan chuckled. "Eager to get him back to the 'safety' of the desert, eh?" 

Safti chuckled. "It may be safer than here, at the moment!" He took Ardeth's arm to help him, not sure how bad his ankle injury was. 

Everyone said their goodbyes at the door. 

"I hope you aren't discouraged from ever coming back here!" said Evy, giving Ardeth a hug.

"Of course not," Ardeth told her. "I am sure that this unfortunate week will not repeat itself again."

"Have a safe trip back!" said Jonathan. "Oh dear…no pun intended."

Rick rolled his eyes as he shook Ardeth's hand. "Take care of yourself."

Ardeth nodded. "I will." He looked at Rachel lying in Jonathan's arms, and placed a finger in her tiny fist. "Be good for your parents," he said to her. 

Rachel squealed at him, making everyone smile as they walked outside.

Ardeth's horse neighed at the sight of him, and Ardeth pet it fondly, it before carefully mounting. 

"We'll be seeing you, Ardeth!" Evy said. "I hope you at least enjoyed the _food_!"

Ardeth chuckled. "I did indeed."

Everyone waved as they galloped off, and as they left Cairo, Safti demanded that Ardeth tell him the details that Rick had left out of his explanation.

Ardeth wasn't surprised at all at Safti's astuteness, and when he told him about the roof incident, Safti was so shocked that he nearly fell off his horse. 

"I know I told the O'Connell's that it was not their fault," said Safti. "But I can not help but blame myself, for _I_ am the one who planned your visit."

Ardeth sighed inwardly, having had a feeling that Safti would feel guilty. "You are just as innocent as they are," he said. "You can not tell the future. You did not know what would occur."

Safti nodded with a sigh, knowing that Ardeth was right. 

They rode on through the afternoon, stopping when darkness approached. 

"I am capable of continuing," Ardeth said.

Safti dismounted and looked up at his chief, still atop the horse. The sight of his black eye, bruised throat, and bandaged hand did not match the determined look on his face, and Safti couldn't help but laugh. "I think _not_."

Ardeth chuckled at him as he carefully climbed down from his horse.

"Did you get any rest at all?" Safti asked, as he built a fire. "Or was every day a catastrophe?"

"I did get _some_, in between," Ardeth answered. 

Safti suddenly stood up straight, with a shocked look on his face, as if suddenly remembering something. "Ardeth! I meant to ask, but forgot about it when I saw your…physical state."

Ardeth smiled at his friend's humorous choice of words.

"What on earth happened to the house next door to the O'Connell's?" Safti asked, sitting beside him. "It looks like a fire destroyed it…it did not look like that last week."

Ardeth sighed, having left that part out. "You are right; it _was_ a fire."

Safti looked at him, his mouth agape. "What injury did you sustain during _that_?!"

Ardeth shook his head, with a slight smile. "Nothing." _Nothing beyond waking to a room full of smoke._

Safti dug into his pack, taking out food and handing some to Ardeth. "Well," he said. "At least you had more quiet there, unlike at the tribe."

Ardeth made a face, but then quickly changed his expression before Safti saw.

"What?"

Ardeth realized he was too late. "Nothing."

Safti turned his entire body towards his friend. "Tell me! I saw that look, after I mentioned 'quiet'."

Ardeth gave the Med-jai version of a shrug. "Rachel had colic most nights."

Safti's face showed shock. "So not only did you suffer all these injuries, but you were kept awake at night too?!" 

"Not every night," said Ardeth. "She stopped crying when I intervened."

Safti frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ardeth told him, and Safti grinned. 

"That is amazing," he said. "Her own parents couldn't calm her, but the fierce Med-jai warrior could." 

"They found it quite amusing," Ardeth agreed. "And I found it quite…endearing." 

Safti smiled, thinking of his own small daughter. "Adeena has missed you. So has Na'im." 

Ardeth smiled back. Safti's two young children were as adorable as Rachel. "I look forward to seeing them again."

Safti nodded, looking at the bandage on Ardeth's hand, which contained a few red stains. "That should be changed."

Ardeth nodded, starting to stand to retrieve their medical supplies.

"I will get it," said Safti. 

Ardeth removed the bandage; frowning at the pink edges around the nasty cut, but he was glad to see that Evy's stitches were all still holding. 

Safti came back and grabbed his friend's hand, wanting to wrap it himself so that he could be sure that it was done right.

Ardeth smiled inwardly at his life-long friend's behavior. He almost made a comment about not being a child, but he knew that Safti would wrap it better, having two hands to do it with.

After pouring water over the cut to make sure that there was no sand in it, Safti carefully wrapped the bandage around it. "There, 'all better', as Jonathan might say."

Ardeth chuckled at that. "Shukran."

"Afwan," said Safti. "If we sleep now, we will be back at camp sooner than we think."

Ardeth nodded, standing to go into his tent. "Tisbah ala kheyr."

"Yi-nehm kway-yis," Safti replied.

'Shukran' : Egyptian Arabic for 'thank you'

'Afwan' : 'you're welcome'

'Tisbah ala kheyr' : 'goodnight'

'Yi-nehm kway-yis' : 'sleep well'


	14. Home Sweet Home! :

LOL MedjaiAngel….your review for chap 13 was so funny! The thing is, I'VE been saying, 'you took the thought right out of my head' for years, lol, and it sounded like something Ardeth might say, not being aware of the 'correct' English phrase, lol. I lost the link you gave me in that old review, I think it was one that ff.net ate. You can email it to me, at deanalisi@hotmail.com, lol. 

The next morning, the two Med-jai were on their way, after the best night's sleep that Ardeth had gotten in a week. 

The remainder of the journey was short, and when they entered the camp, Ardeth felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Dismounting, they were met by Suhaylah, Safti's wife, and their children.

"Ardeth!" said Suhaylah. "It is good to have you ba—" She stopped when she caught sight of his black eye and handed Adeena to Safti, walking closer to get a better look. "Yasalehm! What is this?"

Before Ardeth or Safti could say anything, she noticed the bruises around his neck and the bandage around his hand, and he took her arm and steered her away from public view, wanting to bring as little attention to himself as possible. 

Suhaylah noticed his limp, and her shock mounted. 

Going into Safti's tent, away from prying eyes, they sat and Ardeth reluctantly repeated the story, but only _after_ Suhaylah forced him to let her check his hand.

"What do you think," Safti asked his wife. "We should never allow Ardeth to leave the camp again?"

Ardeth shook his head at them, in mock annoyance. 

"Suhaylah?" they suddenly heard, from outside the tent.

"Come in, Shamara."

The tent flap opened, as the woman walked in. "I was told that Ardeth was in here, and that he appeared to need a healer…_yasalehm_!"

Ardeth closed his eyes in exasperation. "I am fine!" he said. "These injuries are already improving."

"All except for his hand," Suhaylah told the healer. "That one is new."

Shamara knelt beside Ardeth, taking his hand to see the injury.

Ardeth impatiently submitted.

"How did you do this?" Shamara asked, frowning.

"On a piece of pottery from a vase," said Safti.

"Was there anything in the vase?" she asked.

Ardeth frowned, thinking. "I am not sure…I did not see it before it broke, and I did not clean the mess."

"It may be starting to get infected," Shamara said, gently touching the pink edges, which were darkening in color. 

Ardeth winced inwardly at her touch, sighing at her words. _Will this ever stop? _he wondered.

"Come," said Shamara, pulling on his arm. "I will give you medicine to stop the infection's progression."

Ardeth stood, trying to disguise his limp so that she wouldn't have another reason to fuss over him. As they left the tent, he reached for the cloth hanging from his turban to cover his face, so that no one would recognize him, but he realized that he'd left it in Safti's tent. He sighed again, having not wanted his tribe to see his black eye and limp, not wanting to answer a thousand questions.

Entering the healer's tent, Ardeth sat while Shamara mixed her ingredients. 

"I believe that we caught it in time," she said, bringing Ardeth a cup. "I will give you more of this, to take daily." She felt his forehead, to Ardeth's slight annoyance, even though he knew she was only doing her job…he was just _so_ sick of being fussed over. 

"No fever," she said. "If you begin to feel ill, be _sure_ to find me." She gave him a strict look, knowing that he often neglected his health in favor of his duty. "I am _serious_." 

Ardeth couldn't hide his slight grin. "I will, you have my word."

Shamara smiled at him. "Good."

After thanking her, and taking the bottle of medicine, Ardeth left the tent. As he headed back to Safti's, hoping to find him still in it, a group of laughing children ran past, brushing by him and causing him to lose his balance. Managing to catch himself, he winced at the pain in his ankle, and changed his destination…heading instead in the direction of his own tent, where he hoped he'd be safe from further injury…at least until he healed from the ones he currently had. 

THE END!

'Yasalehm' : Egyptian Arabic exclamation of shock, lol.

WOO HOO! It's finished! Thank you SO MUCH everyone, for all of your WONDERFUL reviews! (Even though ff.net ate some of them LOL!) You're all VERY much appreciated! :) Now, I'm onto a UC story or two, so stay tuned in that fandom! :)


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